Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1887-05-21
DEAR MOTHERS GROWING OLD.

Dcar HlOller growing DID,
seem to see her old armchair,
And cross the floor it's rolled;
And picture her as sitting there
Dear mothers growing DID,
The hair that once shone DER her brow
With hue of beaten gold
Is getting white az driven snow
Dear mothers growing DID,"
Her eyes they tell of weary days
And lines of care have hold;
They say to me in many ways .ra
"DCar mothers growing DID,"
Her feeble strength and wavering nand
Can scarce her work unfold;
And as she braids she skips strand
Dear mothers growing DID,
I'm far from her on foreign sea,
Ard by its blue waves lolled,
Those words indeed are sad to me
Dear mothers growing DID,
TREES WITH CORN IN THE WEST.
Some of the finest groves of green
ash, box elder, soft maple, black wild
cherry, honey locust, coffee nut, etc.,
in the West have been started with
comparatively little labor or expense
in this way. AS an example of the pos
-Sible, u friend in Dakota started a ten
acre grove OF ash and box elders fou1,
Years ago, as follows: The seeds We're
kept in the usual way, under cover of
some straw on q hard walk during
the Winter. At the time for early
corn. planting the ground was marked
out one way four feet apart, with
rows running North and South, and
two hands started out to plant it, one
with the sack OF Yankee corn, the other
with the forest tree seeds.
Che corn was planted in the rows
three feet apart, and from three to five
seeds Of the ash, or box elder, were
planted on the North side of the corn
hills, about six inches distant. AS the
cultivating was all one way the hills
were kept clear of weeds by hoeing
while the plants were starting. And
later the culture was with two horse
cultiyator, as is usual in the corn-felds
at the West. During the Winter the
corn-stalks were LETT on the ground to
hold the snoWand protect the young
seedlings from the direct rays of the
sun to some extent. In the Spring the
strongest plant was left in each hill,
snd the others pulled up for setting
in vacant places, or to give away. The
next season the culture was with two
horse Gultiyator, run over shallow. so
MS not to disturb the side roots. The
Z third season the culture was kept up
with large, three-shoveled cultivator,
sold by q Moline company Some
weeds grew after this between the rows,
but not enough to interfere with the
growth Of the plants.
This plan will apply to most tree
seeds, with such notifications in time
OF planting as should occur to all who
have given tree seeds any thought or
care. As instances, ash, box elder,
walnut, hutternut, oak, hsney locust
and black wild cherry seeds should be
put i'll as early as it will do to plant
Yankee corn, which, with prime seed,
can be done most years in April. On
the other hand, the seed of Catalpa
should be held for late corn planting,
as when put III early they are sure to
rot. We will add that ease and cheap
ness in grove-startihg from seed is not
the only gain. The forest tree stand
ing where it first sent down its tap
root from the seed will endure Summer
lrouth and Winters cold that may
permanently weaken, if not kill, the
-trrpsplanted tree. This is especially
true on the Western and Northwestern
prairies, on account of our liability to
long continued aridity of air and soil
ut the very time when the transplanted
tree has it's roots too near the surface.
Professor Budd in Prairie Farmer.
WHEAT CULTURE.
Professor E. G.. Morrow of the Ill
inois University reports his examination
OF large field of wheat near Clinton,
III, which had been carefully drilled in
well prepared fertile prairie soil. At
first glance it was seen that much of the
wheat was dead. A little closer obser-
vation showed that the injury was
mainly confined to the alternate drill
rows, except that two rows in good
condition were found at distances equal
to the width of the drill. Near the
somewhat neglected hedge all the wheat
was in fairly good condition. Inquiry
of the owner led to the information
that the drill tubes were in two ranks.
ri, scr examination showed that the
rows Injured had been planted by tie
first rank Of drill tubes, and that the
Garth thrown (, the sides by the second
row of drill tubes or hoes had filed the
hollows left by the forward tubes. The
Grill wheel had run over the outer drill
row as the drill recrossed the field.
One suggestion as the cause OF injury
was that the seed had been too deeply
covered, but the fact that little or no
injury was noticed near the hedge
seemed to make this unsatisfactory
The only plausible explanation offered
was that the depressions left by the
alternate drill tubes had been filled with
snow or ice at a time when freezing
and thawing had killed much OF the
wheat in the rows which had been filled
80 the level Of the general surface.
1t seemed strong argument in favor
II the benefit of drilling wheat and q